Apparatus, method, computer-readable storage medium, and smartphone for causing scrolling of content in response to touch operations

ABSTRACT

An information processing system includes circuitry that causes a first scrolling of a displayed content region within its boundaries in response to a first user operation. The circuitry of the information processing system also causes a second scrolling of the displayed content region beyond its boundaries in response to a second user operation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.17/485,509, filed Sep. 27, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 17/105,670, filed Nov. 27, 2020 (now U.S. Pat. No.11,157,157), which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/455,778, filed Jun. 28, 2019 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,852,932), which isa continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/888,814, filed Nov. 3,2015 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,387,026), which is based on PCT filingPCT/JP2014/002193, filed Apr. 17, 2014, and claims priority to JP2013-122746, filed Jun. 11, 2013, the entire contents of each areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a display control device, a displaycontrol method, and a program.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, client devices equipped with a touchscreen display are rapidlyproliferating. In such devices, content displayed on the display isscrolled, as described in PTL 1, for example. With scrolling, contentthat does not fully fit on the display may be partially displayed on thedisplay, and the entire content may be expressed by scrolling theportion to display, for example.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature [PTL 1] JP 2012-524318T SUMMARYTechnical Problem

Scrolling on a touchscreen display as above may realize a function ofmoving a portion of content to display on the display, and in addition,a function of moving an operable item displayed on the display. Forexample, an interface element such as a link or button included incontent on a web page may be moved by scrolling to a position easilyreached by a user's finger. The utility of such an operation isincreasing as the displays in recent mobile client devices becomelarger, for example.

However, since the original purpose of scrolling is to display contenton a display, a function of moving an operable item to a position easilyreached by a finger as above may not necessarily be realized. Forexample, it is difficult to move an interface element to a user-desiredposition in the case in which the interface element that the user wantsto operate is positioned at the edge of content, since scrolling ends atthe edge of the content.

Accordingly, the present disclosure proposes a new and improved displaycontrol device, display control method, and program enabling furtherimprovement in the usability of a touchscreen display using scrollingmovement.

Solution to Problem

In a first exemplary aspect, an information processing system includescircuitry that causes a first scrolling of a displayed content regionwithin boundaries of the displayed content region in response to a firstuser operation. The circuitry also causes a second scrolling of thedisplayed content region beyond the boundaries thereof in response to asecond user operation.

In a second exemplary aspect, an information processing method includescausing, with circuitry, first scrolling of a displayed content regionwithin boundaries of the displayed content region in response to a firstuser operation. The method also includes causing, with the circuitry, asecond scrolling of the displayed content region beyond the boundariesthereof in response to a second user operation.

In a third exemplary aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable mediumis encoded with computer-readable instructions thereon that, whenexecuted by a computer cause the computer to perform a method thatincludes causing a first scrolling of a displayed content region withinboundaries of the displayed content region in response to a first useroperation. The method also includes causing a second scrolling of thedisplayed content region beyond the boundaries thereof in response to asecond user operation.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure as described above,the usability of a touchscreen display using scrolling movement may befurther improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic functionalconfiguration of a client device according to a first embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first display example by a clientdevice according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a second display example by a clientdevice according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first display example by a clientdevice according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a second display example by a clientdevice according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first display example by a clientdevice according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second display example by a clientdevice according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process by a clientdevice according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of upward scrolling movementaccording to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of upward scrollingmovement according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of automatic stopping andspacer display according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a display example when reverting thescrolling movement illustrated in FIG. 11 .

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another display example when revertingthe scrolling movement illustrated in FIG. 11 .

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating yet another display example whenreverting the scrolling movement illustrated in FIG. 11 .

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a horizontalscreen according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a large screenaccording to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail and with reference to the attached drawings. Notethat, in this specification and the appended drawings, structuralelements that have substantially the same function and structure aredenoted with the same reference numerals, and repeated explanation ofthese structural elements is omitted.

Hereinafter, the description will proceed in the following order.

1. First Embodiment

1-1. Device configuration1-2. Display examples

2. Second Embodiment 3. Third Embodiment 4. Fourth Embodiment

5. Other embodiments5-1. Upward scrolling movement5-2. Automatic stopping and spacer display5-3. Display when reverting5-4. Display in the case of a horizontal screen5-5. Display in the case of a large screen6. Supplemental remarks

1. First Embodiment (1-1. Device Configuration)

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic functionalconfiguration of a client device according to the first embodiment ofthe present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1 , a client device 100includes a touchscreen display 110, a controller 120, a storage unit130, and a communication unit 140. This functional configuration may berealized by the hardware configuration of an information processingdevice discussed later, for example.

For the sake of brevity, the present advancements are described hereinusing a client device 100 that is operated using a touchscreen display,such as a smartphone, tablet, portable game console, or media player,for example. However, as one of ordinary skill in the art wouldrecognize, the present advancements may be on other devices using otherinput methods. For example, the present advancements may be used inconjunction with a user interface that projects a graphical userinterface onto a surface and which receives user input by recognizinguser movement in a captured image of the surface. The presentadvancements can also be used in conjunction with a user interface thatreceives user input based on a user's proximity thereto rather thanbased on a user touch of the interface. Thus, the following descriptionsare merely exemplary and not limiting upon the scope of the advancementspresented herein.

The touchscreen display 110 includes a display unit 112 and an operatingunit 114. The display unit 112 is a display device such as a liquidcrystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescent (EL) display, forexample, that displays and presents various images to a user undercontrol by the controller 120. The operating unit 114 is a touch sensorof various types, for example, that detects and provides user-givencontact with the screen of the display unit 112 to the controller 120 asoperating input.

Herein, the client device 100 is capable of providing a user with, forexample, web pages and content such as images, video, and music bydisplaying images with the display unit 112 and/or outputting audio witha speaker (not illustrated). The display unit 112 may also display acontent list in which are arranged character strings, thumbnail images,icons, or the like that indicate such content. Furthermore, the displayunit 112 may also display an interface element in an image. An interfaceelement is a graphical user interface (GUI) component that is displayedtogether with content and is capable of receiving an operation on thecontent such as play, stop, or move, or a component that is displayedtogether with a content list and is capable of receiving an operation onrespective content such as play, delete, or move, for example.

Also, in some cases content or a content list is displayed while beingscrolled on the display unit 112, for example. More specifically, in thecase in which the entirety of a web page does not fit within the size ofthe display unit 112, a portion of the web page is displayed on thedisplay unit 112, and the displayed portion may be moved as a result ofa user's drag operation, flick operation, or the like. As anotherexample, in the case in which a content list displaying all content doesnot fit within the size of the display unit 112, a portion of thecontent list is displayed on the display unit 112, and the range ofcontent displayed on the content list moves as a result of a user's dragoperation, flick operation, or the like.

The controller 120 is a processor such as a central processing unit(CPU) that controls respective components of the client device 100 byoperating according to a program stored in the storage unit 130. Forexample, the controller 120 controls the display on the touchscreendisplay 110. More specifically, the controller 120, according tooperating input acquired by the operating unit 114, controls the displayof content or a content list acquired from the storage unit 130 or thecommunication unit 140 discussed later on the display unit 112. Inaddition, the controller 120 may also generate a content list on thebasis of information acquired from the storage unit 130 or thecommunication unit 140, and cause the generated content list to bedisplayed on the display unit 112. Furthermore, the controller 120,according to operating input acquired by the operating unit 114, mayperform operations on the data of content stored in the storage unit130, or perform operations on the data of content on a network via thecommunication unit 140.

Herein, the controller 120 executes a first scrolling control thatscrolls a document displayed on the touchscreen display 110 within adisplay region that includes the document. In addition, the controller120 executes a second scrolling control that causes scrolling movementof the display region itself. Herein, the second scrolling control maybe a control that causes temporary scrolling movement of the displayregion. In the second scrolling control, a spacer that differs from adocument may be displayed in a blank display part produced by thescrolling movement of the display region. Note that in the secondscrolling control, at least some of the interface elements included inthe display region remain operable. Each of the above scrolling controlswill be discussed in further detail later.

The storage unit 130 is semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD),or the like, for example, and stores various data used by the clientdevice 100. Furthermore, the storage unit 130 may also include aremovable recording medium connected to the client device 100. Thestorage unit 130 stores a program by which a processor functions as thecontroller 120, for example. The storage unit 130 may also store thedata of content to be played back by the controller 120 and output fromthe display unit 112 and/or an audio output unit.

The communication unit 140 is a communication device connected to anetwork by various wired or wireless communication schemes. For example,the communication unit 140 downloads the data of content to be outputfrom the display unit 112 and/or an audio output unit from anotherdevice on the network. The communication unit 140 may also add anotheroperation, such as delete or move, to content on another device on thenetwork, according to operating input that the controller 120 acquiresfrom the operating unit 114. Also, the communication unit 140 maydownload a program by which a processor functions as the controller 120from another device on the network, and provide the program to thestorage unit 130.

(1-2. Display Examples)

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first display example by a clientdevice according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 2 , a status bar 501, a menu bar 503, and a contentregion 505 are included on a screen 500 being displayed on thetouchscreen display 110 of the client device 100. In the exampleillustrated in the drawing, a web page is being displayed in the contentregion 505. Content such as a web page is one example of that which isreferred to as a document in this specification.

In the state illustrated in FIG. 2A, a web page is being displayed inthe content region 505 starting from the first part (Line1). Since laterparts of the web page are not being displayed in the content region 505at this time, the user causes these parts to be displayed by scrollingthe content upwards inside the content region 505 with a drag operationor flick operation on the touchscreen display 110. On the other hand,since the first part (Line1) of the web page is already being displayedin the state illustrated in FIG. 2A, from the perspective of viewingcontent, there is no need to scroll the content downwards any farther.

However, in the case in which the user is holding and operating theclient device 100 with one hand, and the user's finger that operates thetouchscreen display 110 is positioned at the bottom of the contentregion 505, for example, it may not be easy in some cases to perform anoperation on an interface element at the edge of the web page (nearLine1) displayed at the top of the content region 505. For example, inthe case of a web page, there may occur operations such as selecting alink displayed among the content, pressing a button, or selecting textinput. Such a phenomenon is particularly notable in the case in whichthe display position of the content region 505 on the touchscreendisplay 110 is fixed (that is, does not freely move as a window). Notethat although the web page is displayed as Line1, Line2, and so on inthe example illustrated in the drawing, this does not mean that the webpage contains only text. The web page may also include images as well asinterface elements such as links or buttons, which may be displayed inthe parts illustrated in the drawing as Line1 and the like.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the content region 505 itselfundergoes scrolling movement under control by the controller 120, asillustrated in FIG. 2B. In the illustrated example, the content region505 undergoes scrolling movement downward, moving away from the menu bar503 that was being displayed adjacent above. This scrolling movement,although temporary, is not transient. In other words, the state ofscrolling movement undergone by the content region 505 as illustrated inFIG. 2B may be maintained until the next operation is given by the user,for example. In this state, interface elements such as links and buttonson the web page included in the content region 505 remain operable.Consequently, after causing scrolling movement of the content region 505and moving the first part of the web page (near Line1) to the bottom ofthe screen 500, it is possible for the user to perform a desiredoperation on an interface element included in that part. As a result, itis possible to easily operate even an interface element in a part thatwas not easy to operate before the scrolling movement of the contentregion 505.

Meanwhile, a spacer 507 is displayed in the blank part between the menubar 503 and the content region 505 produced by the scrolling movement ofthe content region 505. The spacer 507 is displayed distinguished fromthe content displayed in the content region 505, for example, and mayexpress that downward scrolling of the content has already ended. Forthe spacer 507, a simple graphic or other image may be displayed, orseparate content such as an advertisement may be displayed, for example.The image or content displayed as the spacer 507 may also appear toslide down from above in conjunction with the downward scrollingmovement of the content region 505, for example. Alternatively, theimage or content displayed as the spacer 507 may be positioned behindthe content region 505, and displayed as a hidden part that appears as aresult of the downward scrolling movement of the content region 505.

The scrolling movement of the content region 505 as illustrated in FIG.2B (realized with the second scrolling control by the controller 120)may be implemented separately from the scrolling of content displayed inthe content region 505 (realized with the first scrolling control by thecontroller 120). For example, the controller 120 may execute the secondscrolling control that causes scrolling movement of the content region505 in the case in which the operating unit 114 of the touchscreendisplay 110 acquires a second user operation that differs from a firstuser operation for scrolling content. Herein, the above first useroperation and second user operation may be mutually differentoperations. For example, the first user operation and the second useroperation may be mutually different touch operations with respect to adisplay region (for example, the content region 505) on the touchscreendisplay 110. More specifically, in the case in which the first useroperation for scrolling content is a drag operation and/or a flickoperation, the second user operation for causing scrolling movement ofthe content region 505 may be, for example, flicking on the second tapof a double tap, performing a long press with the pad of a finger,flicking after performing a long press with the pad of a finger,dragging with the pad of a finger, flicking after moving a finger up anddown several times while tapping, operating a touch sensor(additionally) provided on the rear face of the client device 100,operating a touch sensor (additionally) provided on a side face of theclient device 100 or at the edge of the display, or shaking the clientdevice 100 while tapping. Note that although a long press or a dragperformed with the pad of a finger may be distinguished from a longpress or a drag performed with a fingertip according to differences incontact surface area, for example, in this specification theseoperations may all be described as touch operations. In the presentembodiment, the first user operation may be a simple operation comparedto the second user operation, like the several examples above. Inaddition, a designated operation for the purpose of scrolling movementmay also include an operation with respect to a region on thetouchscreen display 110 other than the content region 505, and may alsoinclude an operation with respect to an operating unit disposed on thecase surrounding the touchscreen display 110 (for example, a touchsensor provided on the rear or side face of the client device 100, or atthe edge of the display).

In the case in which scrolling movement of the content region 505 startsas a result of a designated operation as above, subsequent dragoperations and flick operations may be treated as operations controllingthe magnitude of scrolling movement of the content region 505, until alater-discussed operation that reverts the scrolling movement of thecontent region 505 is acquired, for example. In other words, in the caseof acquiring the above designated operation, the controller 120 mayswitch the display control mode of the screen 500 from a mode thatscrolls content inside the content region 505 to a mode that causesscrolling movement of the content region 505 itself. As a result, it maybecome easy for the user to place the content region 505 at a desiredposition via scrolling movement.

Alternatively, the controller 120 may execute the scrolling of contentfollowed by scrolling movement of the content region 505 in response toan operation for scrolling content acquired by the operating unit 114.In this case, scrolling movement of the content region 505 may beexecuted automatically in the case in which the operation for scrollingcontent, such as a drag operation or a flick operation, for example, iscontinually acquired even though the content displayed in the contentregion 505 has reached the edge (the top edge at which Line1 is beingdisplayed in the example illustrated in the drawing). In this case, theuser does not need to switch operation from the case of scrollingcontent up to that point in order to cause scrolling movement of thecontent region 505. At this point, in cases such as when the user didnot want to scroll the content region 505 as above, it is sufficient forthe user to revert the scrolling of the content region 505 by executingan operation that scrolls the content in the opposite direction, forexample.

A content region 505 that has undergone scrolling movement may bereverted in the case in which the user executes the above designatedoperation one more time or in the opposite direction, or executes anoperation with respect to an interface element on the web page displayedwhile the content region 505 has undergone scrolling movement, forexample.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a second display example by a clientdevice according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 3 , a status bar 601, a menu bar 603, and a contentlist region 605 are included on a screen 600 being displayed on thetouchscreen display 110 of the client device 100. In the exampleillustrated in the drawing, thumbnails of image content are beingdisplayed in the content list region 605. The thumbnails are displayedwith scrolling, since the thumbnails do not fit in the content listregion 605 provided by the display unit 112 of the touchscreen display110. Such a content list is another example of that which is referred toas a document in this specification.

In the state illustrated in FIG. 3A, the first part of the thumbnails(P1 to P9) are being displayed in the content list region 605. Sincelater parts of the thumbnails (P10 onwards) are not being displayed inthe content list region 605 at this time, the user causes thesethumbnails to be displayed by scrolling the content list upwards with adrag operation or flick operation on the touchscreen display 110. On theother hand, since the first thumbnail (P1) is being displayed in thestate illustrated in FIG. 3A, from the perspective of viewingthumbnails, there is no need to scroll the content list downwards anyfarther.

However, in the case in which the user is holding and operating theclient device 100 with one hand, and the user's finger that operates thetouchscreen display 110 is positioned at the bottom of the content listregion 605, for example, it may not be easy in some cases to performsome kind of operation on a thumbnail (P1 to P3, for example) display atthe top of the content list region 605. For example, in the case ofthumbnails of image content, there may occur operations such asselecting a thumbnail to display, delete, or tag image content. Also, asanother example, if titles or thumbnail images of music content aredisplayed in a content list region, there may occur operations such asselecting a title or image to play, delete, or tag music content.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the content list region 605itself undergoes scrolling movement under control by the controller 120,as illustrated in FIG. 3B. In the illustrated example, the content listregion 605 undergoes scrolling movement downward, moving away from themenu bar 603 that was being displayed adjacent above. Similarly to thefirst display example above, this scrolling movement, althoughtemporary, is not transient. In other words, the state of scrollingmovement undergone by the content list region 605 as illustrated in FIG.3B may be maintained until the next operation is given by the user, forexample. In this state, thumbnails included in the content list region605 remain operable (since various operations related to image contentare possible, thumbnails may be said to be one type of interfaceelement). Consequently, after causing scrolling movement of the contentlist region 605 and moving the first thumbnails (P1 to P3, for example)to the bottom of the screen, it is possible for the user to perform adesired operation on these thumbnails. As a result, it is possible toeasily operate even a thumbnail that was not easy to operate before thescrolling movement of the content list region 605.

Meanwhile, a spacer 607 is displayed in the blank part between the menubar 603 and the content list region 605 produced by the scrollingmovement of the content list region 605. The spacer 607 is displayeddistinguished from the thumbnails displayed in the content list region605, for example, and may express that downward scrolling of the contentlist has already ended. For the spacer 607, a simple graphic or otherimage may be displayed, or separate content such as an advertisement maybe displayed, for example. The image or content displayed as the spacer607 may also appear to slide down from above in conjunction with thedownward scrolling movement of the content list region 605, for example.Alternatively, the image or content displayed as the spacer 607 may bepositioned behind the content list region 605, and displayed as a hiddenpart that appears as a result of the downward scrolling movement of thecontent list region 605.

Similarly to the first display example above, the scrolling movement ofthe content list region 605 as illustrated in FIG. 3B may also beexecuted separately from the scrolling of a content list displayed inthe content list region 605. Accordingly, for example, the controller120 may execute scrolling movement of the content list region 605 in thecase in which the operating unit 114 of the touchscreen display 110acquires a designated operation that differs from an operation forscrolling the content list. Since an example of an operation for thescrolling of a content list and an operation for the scrolling movementof a content list region is similar to the example of an operation forthe scrolling of content and an operation for the scrolling movement ofa content region in the first display example above, duplicatedescription thereof will be omitted herein.

In the case in which scrolling movement of the content list region 605starts as a result of a designated operation, subsequent drag operationsand flick operations may be treated as operations controlling themagnitude of scrolling movement of the content list region 605, until alater-discussed operation that reverts the scrolling movement of thecontent list region 605 is acquired, for example. In other words, in thecase of acquiring the above designated operation, the controller 120 mayswitch the display control mode of the screen 600 from a mode thatscrolls thumbnails or the like inside the content list region 605 to amode that causes scrolling movement of the content list region 605itself. As a result, it may become easy to make adjustments so that thecontent list region 605 moves to a desired position by scrollingmovement.

Alternatively, the controller 120 may execute the scrolling of a contentlist followed by scrolling movement of the content list region 605 inresponse to an operation for scrolling a content list acquired by theoperating unit 114. In this case, scrolling movement of the content listregion 605 may be executed automatically in the case in which theoperation for scrolling the content list, such as a drag operation or aflick operation, for example, is continually acquired even though thethumbnails displayed in the content list region 605 have reached thebeginning (P1 in the example illustrated in the drawing). In this case,the user does not need to switch operation from the case of a scrollingcontent list up to that point in order to cause scrolling movement ofthe content list region 605. At this point, in cases such as when theuser did not want to scroll the content list region 605 as above, it issufficient for the user to revert the scrolling of the content listregion 605 by executing an operation that scrolls the content list inthe opposite direction, for example.

A content list region 605 that has undergone scrolling movement may bereverted in the case in which the user executes the above designatedoperation one more time or in the opposite direction, or executes anoperation with respect to a thumbnail displayed while the content listregion 605 has undergone scrolling movement, for example.

2. Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 . The present embodiment differs fromthe foregoing first embodiment in that a content region or a contentlist region undergoes scrolling movement together with a menu bar. Notethat since all other points are similar to the first embodiment,duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a first display example by a clientdevice according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 4 , a status bar 501, a menu bar 503, and a contentregion 505 are included on a screen 500 being displayed on thetouchscreen display 110 of the client device 100. In the exampleillustrated in the drawing, a web page is being displayed in the contentregion 505.

In the state illustrated in FIG. 4A, a web page is being displayed inthe content region 505. Operations performed on the web page displayedin the content region 505, such as back, forward, reload, stop, and addbookmark, for example, may be acquired by interface elements such asbuttons placed on the menu bar 503. In other words, the menu bar 503 maybe referred to as an interface element placement region in which areplaced interface elements that accept operations related to the webpage. However, in the case in which the user is holding and operatingthe client device 100 with one hand, and the user's finger that operatesthe touchscreen display 110 is positioned at the bottom of the contentregion 505, for example, it may not be easy in some cases to perform anoperation on an interface element placed on the menu bar 503 above.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the menu bar 503 undergoesscrolling movement together with the content region 505 under control bythe controller 120, as illustrated in FIGS. 4B and 4C. In theillustrated example, the menu bar 503 undergoes scrolling movementdownward, moving away from the status bar 501 that was being displayedadjacent above. This scrolling movement, although temporary, is nottransient. In other words, the scrolled state of the menu bar 503 asillustrated in FIG. 4B or FIG. 4C may be maintained until the nextoperation is given by the user, for example. In this state, interfaceelements such as buttons included on the menu bar 503 remain operable.Consequently, after moving the menu bar 503 to the bottom of the screen500, it is possible for the user to perform a desired operation on aninterface element included on the menu bar 503. In other words, the useris able to easily operate an interface element on the menu bar 503without changing his or her grip on the client device 100, for example.

Meanwhile, a spacer 507 is displayed in the blank part between thestatus bar 501 and the menu bar 503 produced by the scrolling movementof the menu bar 503 and the content region 505. For the spacer 507, asimple graphic or other image may be displayed, or separate content suchas an advertisement may be displayed, for example. Alternatively,additional interface elements not included on the menu bar 503 may bedisplayed as the spacer 507. The image, content, or interface elementsdisplayed as the spacer 507 may also appear to slide down from above inconjunction with the downward scrolling movement of the menu bar 503,for example. Alternatively, the image, content, or interface elementsdisplayed as the spacer 507 may be positioned behind the menu bar 503and the content region 505, and displayed as a hidden part that appearsas a result of the downward scrolling movement of the menu bar 503.

The scrolling movement of the menu bar 503 as illustrated in FIGS. 4Band 4C may also be executed separately from the scrolling of contentdisplayed in the content region 505. For example, the controller 120 mayexecute scrolling movement of the menu bar 503 in the case in which theoperating unit 114 of the touchscreen display 110 acquires a designatedoperation that differs from an operation for scrolling the content.Since an example of an operation for the scrolling of content and anoperation for the scrolling movement of a menu bar is similar to theexample of an operation for the scrolling of content and an operationfor the scrolling movement of a content region in the foregoing firstembodiment, duplicate description thereof will be omitted herein.

Furthermore, for the above designated operation, the controller 120 mayrespectively set an operation for causing scrolling movement of thecontent region 505 and an operation for causing scrolling movement ofthe menu bar 503, and selectively execute scrolling movement of theseregions. For example, the controller 120 may set an operation offlicking after a double tap as the operation for scrolling movement ofthe content region 505, and set an operation of flicking after a longpress with the pad of a finger as the operation for scrolling movementof the menu bar 503.

In the case in which scrolling movement of the menu bar 503 starts as aresult of a designated operation, subsequent drag operations and flickoperations may be treated as operations controlling the magnitude ofscrolling movement of the menu bar 503, until a later-discussedoperation that reverts the scrolling movement of the menu bar 503 isacquired, for example. In other words, in the case of acquiring theabove designated operation, the controller 120 may switch the displaycontrol mode of the screen 500 from a mode that scrolls content insidethe content region 505 to a mode that causes scrolling movement of themenu bar 503 and the content region 505. As a result, it may become easyfor the user to place the menu bar 503 at a desired position viascrolling movement.

As a result of the user placing the menu bar 503 at a desired positionwith an operation like the above, in some cases the user's nextoperation may be acquired in a state in which the menu bar 503 isdisplayed at the bottom edge of the screen 500, and the content region505 is no longer displayed, as in FIG. 4C. Also, the user's nextoperation may be acquired in a state in which the menu bar 503 isdisplayed in the approximate center of the screen 500, and the contentregion 505 is displayed below, as in FIG. 4B. At this point, since theuser is conceivably executing scrolling movement of the menu bar 503 inorder to operate the menu bar 503, interface elements being displayed inthe content region 505 may also be disabled. Alternatively, interfaceelements displayed in the content region 505 may also remain operable inorder to raise the user's freedom of operation.

A menu bar 503 that has undergone scrolling movement may be revertedtogether with the content region 505 in the case in which the userexecutes the above designated operation one more time or in the oppositedirection, or executes an operation with respect to an interface elementincluded on the menu bar 503 while the menu bar 503 has undergonescrolling movement, for example.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a second display example by a clientdevice according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 5 , a status bar 601, a menu bar 603, and a contentlist region 605 are included on a screen 600 being displayed on thetouchscreen display 110 of the client device 100. In the exampleillustrated in the drawing, thumbnails of image content are beingdisplayed in the content list region 605.

In the state illustrated in FIG. 5A, the first part of the thumbnails(P1 to P9) are being displayed in the content list region 605.Operations performed on these thumbnails, such as play, delete, andmove, for example, may be acquired by interface elements such as buttonsdisplayed on the menu bar 603. However, in the case in which the user isholding and operating the client device 100 with one hand, and theuser's finger that operates the touchscreen display 110 is positioned atthe bottom of the content list region 605, for example, it may not beeasy in some cases to perform an operation on an interface elementplaced on the menu bar 603 above.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the menu bar 603 undergoesscrolling movement together with the content list region 605 undercontrol by the controller 120, as illustrated in FIGS. 5B and 5C. In theillustrated example, the menu bar 603 undergoes scrolling movementdownward, moving away from the status bar 601 that was being displayedadjacent above. Similarly to the first display example above, thisscrolling movement, although temporary, is not transient. In otherwords, the scrolled state of the menu bar 603 as illustrated in FIG. 5Band FIG. 5C may be maintained until the next operation is given by theuser, for example. In this state, interface elements such as buttonsdisplayed on the menu bar 603 remain operable. Consequently, aftermoving the menu bar 603 to the bottom of the screen 600, it is possiblefor the user to perform a desired operation on an interface elementincluded on the menu bar 603. As a result, the user is able to easilyoperate an interface element on the menu bar 603 without changing his orher grip on the client device 100, for example.

Meanwhile, a spacer 607 is displayed in the blank part between thestatus bar 601 and the menu bar 603 produced by the scrolling movementof the content list region 605 and the menu bar 603. For the spacer 607,a simple graphic or other image may be displayed, or separate contentsuch as an advertisement may be displayed, for example. Alternatively,additional interface elements not included on the menu bar 603 may bedisplayed as the spacer 607. The image, content, or interface elementsdisplayed as the spacer 607 may also appear to slide down from above inconjunction with the downward scrolling movement of the menu bar 603,for example. Alternatively, the image, content, or interface elementsdisplayed as the spacer 607 may be positioned behind the menu bar 603and the content list region 605, and displayed as a hidden part thatappears as a result of the downward scrolling movement of the menu bar603.

Similarly to the first display example above, the scrolling movement ofthe menu bar 603 as illustrated in FIGS. 5B and 5C may also be executedseparately from the scrolling of a content list displayed in the contentlist region 605. Accordingly, for example, the controller 120 mayexecute scrolling movement of the menu bar 603 in the case in which theoperating unit 114 of the touchscreen display 110 acquires a designatedoperation that differs from an operation for scrolling the content list.Since an example of an operation for the scrolling of content and anoperation for the scrolling movement of a menu bar is similar to theexample of an operation for the scrolling of content and an operationfor the scrolling movement of a content region in the foregoing firstembodiment, duplicate description thereof will be omitted herein.

Furthermore, similarly to the first display example above, thecontroller 120 may respectively set an operation for causing scrollingmovement of the content list region 605 and an operation for causingscrolling movement of the menu bar 603, and selectively executescrolling movement of these regions. Also, in the case in whichscrolling movement of the menu bar 603 starts as a result of adesignated operation, subsequent drag operations and flick operationsmay be treated as operations controlling the magnitude of scrollingmovement of the menu bar 603, until a later-discussed operation thatreverts the scrolling movement of the menu bar 603 is acquired, forexample.

As a result of the user placing the menu bar 603 at a desired positionwith an operation like the above, in some cases the user's nextoperation may be acquired in a state in which the menu bar 603 isdisplayed at the bottom edge of the screen 600, and the content listregion 605 is no longer displayed, as in FIG. 5C. Also, the user's nextoperation may be acquired in a state in which the menu bar 603 isdisplayed in the approximate center of the screen 600, and the contentlist region 605 is displayed below, as in FIG. 5B. At this point, sincethe user is conceivably executing scrolling movement of the menu bar 603in order to operate the menu bar 603, operations on thumbnails beingdisplayed in the content list region 605 may also be disabled.Alternatively, thumbnails displayed in the content list region 605 mayalso remain operable in order to raise the user's freedom of operation.

A menu bar 603 that has undergone scrolling movement may be reverted inthe case in which the user executes the above designated operation onemore time or in the opposite direction, or executes an operation withrespect to an interface element included on the menu bar 603 while themenu bar 603 has undergone scrolling movement, for example.

3. Third Embodiment

Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 . The present embodiment differs fromthe foregoing first and second embodiments in that a content region or acontent list region undergoes scrolling movement together with a menubar and a status bar. Note that since all other points are similar tothe first or second embodiment, duplicate description thereof will beomitted.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first display example by a clientdevice according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 6 , a status bar 501, a menu bar 503, and a contentregion 505 are included on a screen 500 being displayed on thetouchscreen display 110 of the client device 100. In the exampleillustrated in the drawing, a web page is being displayed in the contentregion 505.

In the state illustrated in FIG. 6A, a web page is being displayed inthe content region 505. Operations performed on the web page displayedin the content region 505, such as back, forward, reload, stop, and addbookmark, for example, may be acquired by interface elements such asbuttons placed on the menu bar 503. Also, status notificationsindicating received messages, software updates, and the like regardingthe overall system of the client device 100 may be referenced byselecting the status bar 501, for example. However, in the case in whichthe user is holding and operating the client device 100 with one hand,and the user's finger that operates the touchscreen display 110 ispositioned at the bottom of the content region 505, for example, it maynot be easy in some cases to perform an operation on an interfaceelement placed on the menu bar 503 above, or select the status bar 501placed even farther above.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the status bar 501 undergoesscrolling movement together with the menu bar 503 and the content region505 under control by the controller 120, as illustrated in FIGS. 6B and6C. In the illustrated example, the status bar 501 undergoes scrollingmovement downward, moving away from the top edge of the screen 500. Thisscrolling movement, although temporary, is not transient. In otherwords, the scrolled state of the status bar 501 as illustrated in FIG.6B or FIG. 6C may be maintained until the next operation is given by theuser, for example. While in this state, the status bar 501 remainsselectable. In addition, interface elements such as buttons included onthe menu bar 503 may also remain operable. Consequently, after movingthe status bar 501 and the menu bar 503 to the bottom of the screen 500,it is possible for the user to select the status bar 501 to display anotification, or perform a desired operation on an interface elementincluded on the menu bar 503. In other words, the user is able to easilyoperate an interface element on the menu bar 503 or select the statusbar 501, without changing his or her grip on the client device 100, forexample.

Meanwhile, a spacer 507 is displayed in the blank part above the statusbar 501 produced by the scrolling movement of the status bar 501, themenu bar 503, and the content region 505. For the spacer 507, a simplegraphic or other image may be displayed, or separate content such as anadvertisement may be displayed, for example. Alternatively, additionalinterface elements not included on the menu bar 503 may be displayed asthe spacer 507. The image, content, or interface elements displayed asthe spacer 507 may also appear to slide down from above in conjunctionwith the downward scrolling movement of the status bar 501, for example.Alternatively, the image, content, or interface elements displayed asthe spacer 507 may be positioned behind the status bar 501, the menu bar503, and the content region 505, and displayed as a hidden part thatappears as a result of the downward scrolling movement of the status bar501.

The scrolling movement of the status bar 501 as illustrated in FIGS. 6Band 6C may also be executed separately from the scrolling of contentdisplayed in the content region 505. For example, the controller 120 mayexecute scrolling movement of the status bar 501 in the case in whichthe operating unit 114 of the touchscreen display 110 acquires adesignated operation that differs from an operation for scrolling thecontent. Since an example of an operation for the scrolling of contentand an operation for the scrolling movement of a status bar is similarto the example of an operation for the scrolling of content and anoperation for the scrolling movement of a content region in theforegoing first embodiment, duplicate description thereof will beomitted herein.

Furthermore, for the above designated operation, the controller 120 mayrespectively set an operation for causing scrolling movement of thecontent region 505 and an operation for causing scrolling movement ofthe status bar 501, and selectively execute scrolling movement of theseregions. For example, the controller 120 may set an operation offlicking after a double tap as the operation for scrolling movement ofthe content region 505, and set an operation of flicking after a longpress with the pad of a finger as the operation for scrolling movementof the status bar 501.

In the case in which scrolling movement of the status bar 501 starts asa result of a designated operation, subsequent drag operations and flickoperations may be treated as operations controlling the magnitude ofscrolling movement of the status bar 501, until a later-discussedoperation that reverts the scrolling movement of the status bar 501 isacquired, for example. In other words, in the case of acquiring theabove designated operation, the controller 120 may switch the displaycontrol mode of the screen 500 from a mode that scrolls content insidethe content region 505 to a mode that causes scrolling movement of thestatus bar 501, the menu bar 503, and the content region 505. As aresult, it may become easy for the user to place the status bar 501 orthe menu bar 503 at a desired position via scrolling movement.

As a result of the user placing the status bar 501 or the menu bar 503at a desired position with an operation like the above, in some casesthe user's next operation may be acquired in a state in which the statusbar 501 and the menu bar 503 are displayed at the bottom edge of thescreen 500, and the content region 505 is no longer displayed, as inFIG. 6C. Also, the user's next operation may be acquired in a state inwhich the status bar 501 and the menu bar 503 are displayed in theapproximate center of the screen 500, and the content region 505 isdisplayed below, as in FIG. 6B. At this point, since the user isconceivably executing scrolling movement of the status bar 501 in orderto operate the status bar 501 or the menu bar 503, interface elementsbeing displayed in the content region 505 may also be disabled.Alternatively, interface elements displayed in the content region 505may also remain operable in order to raise the user's freedom ofoperation.

A status bar 501 and a menu bar 503 that have undergone scrollingmovement may be reverted together with the content region 505 in thecase in which the user executes the above designated operation one moretime or in the opposite direction, or ends viewing of a notificationdisplayed in the status bar 501 or executes an operation with respect toan interface element included on the menu bar 503 while the status bar501 and the menu bar 503 have undergone scrolling movement, for example.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second display example by a clientdevice according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 7 , a status bar 601, a menu bar 603, and a contentlist region 605 are included on a screen 600 being displayed on thetouchscreen display 110 of the client device 100. In the exampleillustrated in the drawing, thumbnails of image content are beingdisplayed in the content list region 605.

In the state illustrated in FIG. 7A, the first part of the thumbnails(P1 to P9) are being displayed in the content list region 605.Operations performed on these thumbnails, such as play, delete, andmove, for example, may be acquired by interface elements such as buttonsdisplayed on the menu bar 603. Also, notifications indicating receivedmessages, software updates, and the like regarding the overall system ofthe client device 100 may be referenced by selecting the status bar 601,for example. However, in the case in which the user is holding andoperating the client device 100 with one hand, and the user's fingerthat operates the touchscreen display 110 is positioned at the bottom ofthe content list region 605, for example, it may not be easy in somecases to perform an operation on an interface element placed on the menubar 603 above, or select the status bar 601 placed even farther above.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the status bar 601 undergoesscrolling movement together with the menu bar 603 and the content listregion 605 under control by the controller 120, as illustrated in FIGS.7B and 7C. In the illustrated example, the status bar 601 undergoesscrolling movement downward, moving away from the top edge of the screen600. Similarly to the first display example above, this scrollingmovement, although temporary, is not transient. In other words, thescrolled state of the status bar 601 as illustrated in FIG. 7B or FIG.7C may be maintained until the next operation is given by the user, forexample. While in this state, the status bar 601 remains selectable. Inaddition, interface elements such as buttons included on the menu bar603 may also remain operable. Consequently, after moving the status bar601 and the menu bar 603 to the bottom of the screen 600, it is possiblefor the user to select the status bar 601 to display a notification, orperform a desired operation on an interface element included on the menubar 603. In other words, the user is able to easily operate an interfaceelement on the menu bar 603 or select the status bar 601, withoutchanging his or her grip on the client device 100, for example.

Meanwhile, a spacer 607 is displayed in the blank part above the statusbar 601 produced by the scrolling movement of the status bar 601, themenu bar 603, and the content list region 605. For the spacer 607, asimple graphic or other image may be displayed, or separate content suchas an advertisement may be displayed, for example. Alternatively,additional interface elements not included on the menu bar 603 may bedisplayed as the spacer 607. The image, content, or interface elementsdisplayed as the spacer 607 may also appear to slide down from above inconjunction with the downward scrolling movement of the status bar 601,for example. Alternatively, the image, content, or interface elementsdisplayed as the spacer 607 may be positioned behind the status bar 601,the menu bar 603, and the content list region 605, and displayed as ahidden part that appears as a result of the downward scrolling movementof the status bar 601.

Similarly to the first display example above, the scrolling movement ofthe status bar 601 as illustrated in FIGS. 7B and 7C may also beexecuted separately from the scrolling of a content list displayed inthe content list region 605. For example, the controller 120 may executescrolling movement of the status bar 601 in the case in which theoperating unit 114 of the touchscreen display 110 acquires a designatedoperation that differs from an operation for scrolling the content list.Since an example of an operation for the scrolling of a content list andan operation for the scrolling movement of a status bar is similar tothe example of an operation for the scrolling of content and anoperation for the scrolling movement of a content region in theforegoing first embodiment, duplicate description thereof will beomitted herein.

Furthermore, similarly to the first display example above, thecontroller 120 may respectively set an operation for causing scrollingmovement of the content list region 605 and an operation for causingscrolling movement of the status bar 601, and selectively executescrolling movement of these regions. Also, in the case in whichscrolling movement of the status bar 601 starts as a result of adesignated operation, subsequent drag operations and flick operationsmay be treated as operations controlling the magnitude of scrollingmovement of the status bar 601, until a later-discussed operation thatreverts the scrolling movement of the status bar 601 is acquired, forexample.

As a result of the user placing the status bar 601 or the menu bar 603at a desired position with an operation like the above, in some casesthe user's next operation may be acquired in a state in which the statusbar 601 and the menu bar 603 are displayed at the bottom edge of thescreen 600, and the content list region 605 is no longer displayed, asin FIG. 7C. Also, the user's next operation may be acquired in a statein which the status bar 601 and the menu bar 603 are displayed in theapproximate center of the screen 600, and the content list region 605 isdisplayed below, as in FIG. 7B. At this point, since the user isconceivably executing scrolling movement of the status bar 601 in orderto operate the status bar 601 or the menu bar 603, operations onthumbnails being displayed in the content list region 605 may also bedisabled. Alternatively, thumbnails displayed in the content list region605 may also remain operable in order to raise the user's freedom ofoperation.

A status bar 601 and a menu bar 603 that have undergone scrollingmovement may be reverted together with the content list region 605 inthe case in which the user executes the above designated operation onemore time or in the opposite direction, or ends viewing of anotification displayed in the status bar 601 or executes an operationwith respect to an interface element included on the menu bar 603 whilethe status bar 601 and the menu bar 603 have undergone scrollingmovement, for example.

4. Fourth Embodiment

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedwith reference to FIG. 8 . In the present embodiment, the scrollingmovement starting from a content region (or a content list region), thescrolling movement starting from a menu bar, and the scrolling movementstarting from a status bar in the foregoing first through thirdembodiments are used differently according to the support state of theoperating system (OS) of the client device 100 or an applicationdisplayed on-screen.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process by a clientdevice according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.First, the operating unit 114 of the client device 100 acquires adesignated operation indicating scrolling movement that is not thescrolling of content (or a content list) (step S101). Herein, thedesignated operation may be, as discussed earlier, flicking on thesecond tap of a double tap, performing a long press with the pad of afinger, flicking after performing a long press with the pad of a finger,dragging with the pad of a finger, flicking after moving a finger up anddown several times while tapping, operating a touch sensor(additionally) provided on the rear face of the client device 100,operating a touch sensor (additionally) provided on a side face of theclient device 100 or at the edge of the display, or shaking the clientdevice 100 while tapping, for example.

At this point, in the case of determining that the operating unit 114has acquired the designated operation, the controller 120 may controlthe display unit 112 to display an effect indicating that a separatescrolling display mode has started. For example, an effect like peelingpaper may be displayed in the portions undergoing scrolling movementon-screen (for example, the content region 505 in the example of FIG. 2, the menu bar 503 in the example of FIG. 4 , or the status bar 501 inthe example of FIG. 6 ). Also, an effect may be displayed in which theseportions are reduced slightly and appear to be floating. These effectsmay be displayed not only at the start, but also during the scrollingmovement.

Next, a determination of whether or not the OS supports a scrollingmovement function is made (step S103), and if the OS supports thefunction (YES), scrolling movement starting from the status bar like inthe third embodiment is executed (step S105). In the present embodiment,since the status bar is displayed by a function of the OS, OS support ofa scrolling movement function may be a condition for realizing scrollingmovement starting from the status bar. Obviously, scrolling movementstarting from the menu bar or scrolling movement starting from thecontent region (or content list region) may also be executed, even inthe case in which the OS supports the function.

Conversely, in the case in which the OS does not support the function inthe determination of step S103 (NO), a determination of whether or notthe application being displayed on-screen supports a scrolling movementfunction is made (step S107). At this point, if the application supportsthe function (YES), scrolling movement starting from the menu bar likein the second embodiment is executed (step S109). In the presentembodiment, since the menu bar is displayed by a function of theapplication, application support of a scrolling movement function may bea condition for realizing scrolling movement starting from the menu bar.Obviously, scrolling movement starting from the content region (orcontent list region) may also be executed, even in the case in which theapplication supports the function.

Conversely, in the case in which the application does not support thefunction in the determination of step S107 (NO), scrolling movementstarting from the content region (or content list region) like in thefirst embodiment is executed (step S111). At this point, the controller120 adds a dummy content portion, advertising, or the like to bedisplayed as a spacer at the beginning of the content (or content list),for example, such that this content portion or advertising is displayedfollowing the ordinary scrolling of the content (or content list).

5. Other Embodiments (5-1. Upward Scrolling Movement)

FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating examples of upward scrollingmovement according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.FIGS. 9A to 9C illustrate an example of a content display, while FIGS.10A to 10C illustrate an example of a content list display. Theforegoing first through third embodiments are described by taking as anexample the case in which the user's finger operating the touchscreendisplay 110 is positioned at the bottom of the content region 505 (orthe content list region 605). Similarly, usability improvement usingupward scrolling movement may also be attempted in the case in which theuser's finger is positioned at the top of the content region 505 (or thecontent list region 605).

For example, as illustrated in the examples of FIGS. 9A and 10A, thecontent region 505 (or the content list region 605) may undergo upwardscrolling movement to place interface elements or thumbnails closer to arange easily operated by the user. Similarly, as illustrated in theexamples of FIGS. 9B and 10B, the menu bar 503 or 603 may also undergoupward scrolling movement in the case in which the menu bar 503 or 603is displayed at the bottom edge rather than the top edge of the screen500 or 600. Also, as illustrated in the examples of FIGS. 9C and 10C,the status bar 501 or 601 may also undergo upward scrolling movement inthe case in which the status bar 501 or 601 is displayed at the bottomedge of the screen 500 or 600.

(5-2. Automatic Stopping and Spacer Display)

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of automatic stopping andspacer display according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure. In the illustrated example, scrolling movement starting fromthe status bar 601 is executed. In FIG. 11A, thumbnails (P10 to P17) ofimage content displayed in the content list region 605 are scrolled,without starting a mode for scrolling movement of the status bar 601. Atthis point, if a designated operation as discussed above is acquired,such as a long press with the pad of a finger, scrolling with the pad ofa finger, or shaking the client device 100 while tapping, for example,the controller 120 starts the mode for scrolling movement of the statusbar 601.

FIG. 11B is a display example of when the mode for scrolling movement ofthe status bar 601 is started. At this point, the status bar 601, themenu bar 603, and the content list region 605 move slightly downwardwhile keeping the displayed content (like when captured). The spacer 607is displayed in the blank part produced by the movement. In theillustrated example, the spacer 607 may be an image like a string bywhich the status bar 601 hangs from the top edge of the screen 600. Atthe time of FIG. 11B, this string is very slack.

FIG. 11C is a display example while scrolling movement of the status bar601 is in progress. At this point, the status bar 601, the menu bar 603,and the content list region 605 are moving downward while continuing tokeep the displayed content at the time of FIG. 11A. As discussed above,even in this state it is still possible to select the status bar 601 oroperate an interface element included on the menu bar 603. Also, thestring being displayed as the spacer 607 is gradually losing slack toreflect that the distance has widened between the top edge of the screen600 and the status bar 601.

FIG. 11D is a display example of when scrolling movement of the statusbar 601 has stopped. At this point, the status bar 601 and the menu bar603 have moved close to the bottom edge of the screen 600, and areestimated to be at a position that is sufficiently easily to operatewith a user's finger positioned at the bottom of the screen 600, forexample. Consequently, the controller 120 may also set this position asa limit point for the scrolling movement of the status bar 601. At thispoint, the string being displayed as the spacer 607 is being displayedin a taut state to reflect that the downward movement of the status bar601 has reached the limit.

In the illustrated example, the scrolling movement of the status bar 601and the menu bar 603 may be stopped at a suitable position without useradjustment, as a result of the controller 120 of the client device 100automatically determining a travel amount for the scrolling movement ofthe status bar 601. Herein, the travel amount of the scrolling movementmay be determined according to the display size of interface elementsthat remain operable, or in other words, the display size of the statusbar 601 or interface elements displayed on the menu bar 603 in the aboveexample. Also, by displaying an image expressing the relationshipbetween an automatically determined travel amount and the current travelamount, like the string in the above example, the user is able tointuitively recognize how far the scrolling movement has advanced.Obviously, similar control and display is likewise possible forscrolling movement of the menu bar 603 or the content list region 605,as well as the scrolling movement of respective regions on the screen500.

(5-3. Display when Reverting)

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a display example when reverting thescrolling movement illustrated in FIG. 11 . FIG. 12A is the same displayas FIG. 11D, but if at this point a designated operation for revertingscrolling movement is acquired, such as an operation of tapping and thenflicking upward, for example, the controller 120 starts a control forreverting the scrolling movement of the status bar 601. In theillustrated example, the scrolling movement is automatically reverted bythe above designated operation. FIG. 12B illustrates a midway state.Unlike the example of FIG. 11C, for example, the string displayed as thespacer 607 remains in a taut state, and movement may be expressed asthough the status bar 601 is being dragged upward, for example.

As illustrated in FIG. 12C, when the status bar 601 moves up to the topedge of the screen 600, the mode for scrolling movement of the statusbar 601 ends, and subsequently, the scrolling display of the thumbnailsdisplayed in the content list region 605 is resumed. Note that althoughin the above example the scrolling movement is automatically reverted bythe operation in FIG. 12A, in another example, the scrolling movementmay be reverted manually by the user executing an upward drag operationor flick operation until reaching the state in FIG. 12C. In this case,it is also possible to stop the upward operation partway through, andagain return to the state in FIG. 12A. Thus, the display of the spacer607 in FIG. 12B may be a somewhat slack string similar to FIG. 11C toexpress that the status bar 601 is movable both upwards and downwards.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a another display example whenreverting the scrolling movement illustrated in FIG. 11 . FIG. 13A isthe same display as FIG. 11D, but at this point an operation selectingthe status bar 601 is acquired. As discussed earlier, sincenotifications indicating received messages, software updates, and thelike are displayed on the status bar 601, if the status bar 601 isselected, a status screen 609 as illustrated in FIG. 13B may bereferenced. In the illustrated example, by selecting a close button 611displayed on the status screen 609, the display of the status screen 609ends, and in addition, the display position of the status bar 601reverts back as illustrated in FIG. 13C, and the scrolling movement modeends.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating yet another display example whenreverting the scrolling movement illustrated in FIG. 11 . FIG. 14A isthe same display as FIG. 11D, but at this point an operation via aninterface element included on the menu bar 603 produces a screentransition within an application, or in other words, a change in thedisplay of a document. In the illustrated example, a transition to a mapdisplay screen 650 as illustrated in FIG. 14B is being executed, and atthis point the scrolling movement of the status bar 601 is revertedback. The position of the status bar 601 may revert back immediately, orrevert over a designated amount of time while displaying an animation orthe like. On the other hand, although a screen transition is notproduced in the display of FIG. 14A even in the case in which anoperation, such as deleting content, for example, is executed on athumbnail of image content displayed in the content list region 605 viaan interface element included on the menu bar 603, the scrollingmovement of the status bar 601 may revert back as illustrated in FIG.14C.

(5-4. Display in the Case of a Horizontal Screen)

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a horizontalscreen according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In theexample in FIG. 15A, when a contact region (Touch) exists on the rightside of a horizontal screen 700, the displayed content undergoesscrolling movement to the right, and a spacer 707 is displayed in theemptied part. Also, in the example in FIG. 15B, when a contact region(Touch) exists on the left side of the horizontal screen 700, thedisplayed content undergoes scrolling movement to the left, and a spacer707 is displayed in the emptied part. In this way, the embodiment of thepresent disclosure discussed above is also applicable to a horizontalscreen similarly to a vertical screen in a client device 100 such as asmartphone.

(5-5. Display in the Case of a Large Screen)

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a large screenaccording to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In theexample in FIG. 16A, when a contact region (Touch) exists in thelower-right of a large screen 800, the displayed content undergoesscrolling movement down and to the right, and a spacer 807 is displayedin the emptied L-shaped part. Also, in the example in FIG. 16B, when acontact region (Touch) exists in the lower-left of the large screen 800,the displayed content undergoes scrolling movement down and to the left,and a spacer 807 is displayed in the emptied L-shaped part. In this way,the embodiment of the present disclosure discussed above is alsoapplicable to a large screen the may be scrolled both vertically andhorizontally in a client device 100 such as a tablet. In this case, thetravel direction of the scrolling movement may be determined accordingto a position on a touchscreen display or on a case near a touchscreendisplay at which a designated user operation was executed, as in theabove examples.

6. Supplemental Remarks

In the foregoing embodiment, display control for a client device isexecuted internally within the client device, such that the clientdevice functions as the display control device. However, an embodimentof the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. Forexample, a server that communicates with a client device via a networkmay also provide the function of display control for the client device.In this case, one or multiple server devices constituting the serverfunction as the display control device.

Embodiments of the present disclosure encompass a display control device(a client device or a server device) as described in the foregoing, asystem, an information processing method executed by a display device orsystem, a program for causing a display control device to function, anda non-transient tangible medium storing a program, for example.

The foregoing thus describes a preferred embodiment of the presentdisclosure in detail and with reference to the attached drawings.However, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited tosuch examples. It is clear to persons ordinarily skilled in thetechnical field of the present disclosure that various modifications oralterations may occur insofar as they are within the scope of thetechnical ideas stated in the claims, and it is to be understood thatsuch modifications or alterations obviously belong to the technicalscope of the present disclosure.

Additionally, the present technology may also be configured as below.

(1) An information processing system, comprising: circuitry configuredto cause a first scrolling of a displayed content region withinboundaries thereof in response to a first user operation, and cause asecond scrolling of the displayed content region beyond the boundariesthereof in response to a second user operation.

(2) The information processing system of (1), wherein the first useroperation and the second user operation are different.

(3) The information processing system of (2), wherein the first useroperation includes fewer gestures than the second user operation.

(4) The information processing system of any one of (1) to (3), whereinan operation item in the content region remains active after the secondscrolling of the content region.

(5) The information processing system of (4), wherein the content regionis scrolled to a position within the boundaries thereof in response tooperation of the operation item.

(6) The information processing system of any one of (1) to (5), whereinafter the second scrolling an area beyond the boundaries of the contentregion is displayed differently from the content region to distinguishthe area beyond the boundaries of the content region from the contentregion.

(7) The information processing system of (6), wherein the content regionis part of a graphical user interface that further includes a menuregion and a status region.

(8) The information processing system of (7), wherein the status regionand the menu region remain at a fixed position in the graphical userinterface during both the first and the second user operations.

(9) The information processing system of any one of (6) to (7), whereinthe area beyond the boundaries of the content region includes an image.

(10) The information processing system of any one of (6) to (9), whereinthe area beyond the boundaries includes an advertisement.

(11) The information processing system of any one of (9) to (10),wherein the image included in the area beyond the boundaries of thecontent region is positioned behind the content region such thatscrolling the content region beyond the boundaries thereof reveals aportion of the image.

(12) The information processing system of any one of (1) to (11),wherein user operations after the second user operation control amagnitude of the second scrolling.

(13) The information processing system of (12), wherein the secondscrolling is canceled in response to a predetermined user operation.

(14) The information processing system of (8), wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to receive a third user operation that is differentfrom the first and second user operations, and to cause a thirdscrolling to scroll both the menu region and the content region togetherto reveal an area between the status region and the menu region, thearea between the status region and the menu region being different fromthe status region, the menu region and the content region.

(15) The information processing system of (14), wherein the circuitry isfurther configured to receive a fourth user operation to cause a fourthscrolling to scroll the status region, the menu region and the contentregion together to reveal an area beyond the status region, the areabeyond the status region being different from the status region, themenu region and the content region.

(16) The information processing system of (15), wherein the statusregion and the menu region are disposed at a top of the graphical userinterface.

(17) The information processing system of (16), wherein the statusregion and the menu region are disposed at a bottom of the graphicaluser interface.

(18) The information processing system of any one of (1) to (18),wherein the circuitry receives user operation via a touchscreen.

(19) An information processing method, comprising: causing, withcircuitry, a first scrolling of a displayed content region withinboundaries thereof in response to a first user operation; and causing,with the circuitry, a second scrolling of the displayed content regionbeyond the boundaries thereon in response to a second user operation.

(20) A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded withcomputer-readable instructions thereon that, when executed by acomputer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising: causing,with circuitry, a first scrolling of a displayed content region withinboundaries thereof in response to a first user operation; and causing,with the circuitry, a second scrolling of the displayed content regionbeyond the boundaries thereon in response to a second user operation.

(21) A display control device including:

a display controller that controls display on a touchscreen display,

wherein the display controller

executes a first scrolling control that scrolls a document displayed onthe touchscreen display within a display region that includes thedocument, and a second scrolling control that causes scrolling movementof the display region, and

during the scrolling movement by the second scrolling control, causes aspacer that differs from the document to be displayed in a blank displaypart produced by scrolling movement of the display region, and inaddition, causes at least a portion of interface elements included inthe display region to remain operable, and

wherein a first user operation for causing the display controller toexecute the first scrolling control and a second user operation forcausing the display controller to execute the second scrolling controlare touch operations that differ from each other with respect to thedisplay region on the touchscreen display.

(22) The display control device according to (21),

wherein the display controller temporarily causes scrolling movement ofthe display region in the second scrolling control.

(23) The display control device according to (21) or (22),

wherein the first user operation is an operation simpler than the seconduser operation.

(24) The display control device according to any one of (21) to (23),

wherein the display controller automatically determines a travel amountof the scrolling movement in the second scrolling control.

(25) The display control device according to (24),

wherein the travel amount of the scrolling movement is determinedaccording to a display size of the interface elements that remainoperable.

(26) The display control device according to (24) or (25),

wherein the spacer is an image expressing a relationship between theautomatically determined travel amount and a current travel amount.

(27) The display control device according to any one of (21) to (26),

wherein, during the scrolling movement in the second scrolling control,the display controller causes interface elements placed within thedocument to remain operable.

(28) The display control device according to (21),

wherein the display region includes the document and an interfaceelement placement region in which interface elements that acceptoperations related to the document are placed, and

wherein, during the scrolling movement in the second scrolling control,the display controller causes interface elements placed in the interfaceelement placement region to remain operable.

(29) The display control device according to (28),

wherein, during the scrolling movement in the second scrolling control,the display controller disables interface elements placed within thedocument.

(30) The display control device according to (21),

wherein the display region includes the document and a status displayregion that displays a status of a device that includes the touchscreendisplay, and

wherein, during the scrolling movement in the second scrolling control,the display controller causes the status display region to remainoperable.

(31) The display control device according to (30),

wherein, in the second scrolling control, the display controller revertsthe scrolling movement when display of a status screen displayed by anoperation on the status display region ends.

(32) The display control device according to any one of (21) to (31),

wherein, in the second scrolling control, the display controller revertsthe scrolling movement when display of the document is changed by anoperation on the interface elements that remain operable.

(33) The display control device according to any one of (21) to (31),

wherein, in the second scrolling control, the display controller revertsthe scrolling movement when an operation on the interface elements thatremain operable is executed.

(34) The display control device according to any one of (21) to (33),

wherein, on the touchscreen display, a position of the display region isfixed in a case in which the second scrolling control is absent.

(35) The display control device according to any one of (21) to (34),

wherein a travel direction of the scrolling movement in the secondscrolling control is determined according to a position on thetouchscreen display or on a case near the touchscreen display at whichthe second user operation was executed.

(36) The display control device according to any one of (21) to (35),further including:

a display unit, operating unit, storage unit, and communication unitconstituting the touchscreen display,

wherein the display controller controls display by the display unit.

(37) The display control device according to (36),

wherein the display control device is a smartphone or tablet.

(38) A display control method including:

executing, by a processor that controls display on a touchscreendisplay, a first scrolling control that scrolls a document displayed onthe touchscreen display within a display region that includes thedocument, and a second scrolling control that causes scrolling movementof the display region, and

during the scrolling movement by the second scrolling control, causing,by the processor, a spacer that differs from the document to bedisplayed in a blank display part produced by scrolling movement of thedisplay region, and in addition, causing, by the processor, at least aportion of interface elements included in the display region to remainoperable,

wherein a first user operation for causing the processor to execute thefirst scrolling control and a second user operation for causing theprocessor to execute the second scrolling control are touch operationsthat differ from each other with respect to the display region on thetouchscreen display.

(39) A program causing a computer that controls display on a touchscreendisplay to realize

a function that executes a first scrolling control that scrolls adocument displayed on the touchscreen display within a display regionthat includes the document, and a second scrolling control that causesscrolling movement of the display region, and a function that, duringthe scrolling movement by the second scrolling control, causes a spacerthat differs from the document to be displayed in a blank display partproduced by scrolling movement of the display region, and in addition,causes at least a portion of interface elements included in the displayregion to remain operable, wherein a first user operation for causingthe computer to execute the first scrolling control and a second useroperation for causing the computer to execute the second scrollingcontrol are touch operations that differ from each other with respect tothe display region on the touchscreen display.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   100 client device-   110 touchscreen display-   112 display unit-   114 operating unit-   120 controller-   130 storage unit-   140 communication unit

1-8. (canceled)
 9. An information processing system, comprising:circuitry configured to cause, in response to a first user operation,scrolling to scroll content within a displayed content region in a firstdisplay control mode, the content region being displayed on atouchscreen display and displaying the content region, a menu regiondisplayed above the content region, and a status region displayed abovethe menu region; cause, in response to a second user operation differentfrom the first user operation, the displayed content region, the menuregion and the status region to move together downward away from a topedge of the screen in a second display control mode, wherein the seconduser operation is a touch operation with respect to a display regionunder the status region, wherein the first and second user operationsare received by the touchscreen display, and cause, in response to thesecond user operation, a hidden spacer to be displayed as a result ofthe movement of the status region.
 10. The information processing systemaccording to claim 9, wherein the hidden spacer to be displayed ishidden prior to the movement of the status region.
 11. The informationprocessing system according to claim 9, wherein, in response to a thirduser operation that is executed with respect to the status region havingbeen moved downward in the second display control mode together with thedisplayed content region, a notification is displayed, wherein the firstuser operation includes fewer gestures than the second user operation.12. The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein agesture for the first user operation is for a drag operation, andgestures for the second user operation are for multi-tap operations. 13.The information processing system according to claim 9, wherein anoperation item in the content region remains active after movement ofthe content region.
 14. The information processing system according toclaim 9, wherein the touchscreen display displays a graphical userinterface.
 15. The information processing system according to claim 9,wherein user operations after the second user operation control amagnitude of movement of the status region.
 16. The informationprocessing system according to claim 9, wherein the circuitry is furtherconfigured to cause the movement of the status region to reveal an areabeyond the status region.
 17. An information processing method,comprising: causing, with circuitry, in response to a first useroperation, scrolling to scroll content within a displayed content regionin a first display control mode, the content region being displayed on atouchscreen display and displaying the content region, a menu regiondisplayed above the content region, and a status region displayed abovethe menu region; causing, with the circuitry, in response to a seconduser operation different from the first user operation, the displayedcontent region, the menu region and the status region to move togetherdownward away from a top edge of the screen in a second display controlmode, wherein the second user operation is a touch operation withrespect to a display region under the status region, wherein the firstand second user operations are received by the touchscreen display, andcausing, in response to the second user operation, a hidden spacer to bedisplayed as a result of the movement of the status region.
 18. Theinformation processing method according to claim 17, wherein the hiddenspacer to be displayed is hidden prior to the movement of the statusregion.
 19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded withcomputer-readable instructions thereon that, when executed by acomputer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising: causing,with circuitry, in response to a first user operation, scrolling toscroll content within a displayed content region in a first displaycontrol mode, the content region being displayed on a touchscreendisplay and displaying the content region, a menu region displayed abovethe content region, and a status region displayed above the menu region;causing, with the circuitry, in response to a second user operationdifferent from the first user operation, the displayed content region,the menu region and the status region to move together downward awayfrom a top edge of the screen in a second display control mode, whereinthe second user operation is a touch operation with respect to a displayregion under the status region, wherein the first and second useroperations are received by the touchscreen display, and causing, inresponse to the second user operation, a spacer to be displayed as aresult of the movement of the status region.
 20. The informationprocessing method according to claim 19, wherein the spacer to bedisplayed is hidden prior to the movement of the status region.